Air conditioner



Aug. 17, 1943.

C. A. BOLCOM AIR CODITIONER Filed June 9. 1941 ,45 Z Z Z .ha 2a 2741 P ff@ 6 Y J. 69 fn/M4 lllllfl l Il ...Il

. Mixml .w. l'll'll a'o cam www Patented Aug. 17, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONER Clarence A. Bolcom, Ionia, Mich. Application June 9, 1941, Serial No. 397,286

1 Claim. (Cl. 261-30) This invention relates to air conditioning devices, and more especially to a device for raising the humidity in a room or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide an air conditioning device which is so constructed as to be automatically operable as to its humidifying action, the device including a circulating fan, a forarninous wall and means connected with the ian and with the wall for providing for the moistening of the wall in proportion to the speed of the fan.

Another object of this invention is to provide in an air conditioning device of this kind means whereby the water flowing to the vaporizing wall will also recirculate any excess water flowing through the wall and whereby the rate of recirculation will be proportionate to the rate of flow of the incoming water, the latter being controlled by the speed of the circulating fan.

A further object of this invention is to provide fan air conditioner of this kind .in which the recirculation of any excess unvaporized water is effected by means of a suction nozzle, thereby eliminating any pump and permitting the use of a conventional fan.

To the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying CII drawing, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modiiications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an air conditioner constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.`

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I0 designates generally a housing which includes a bottom wall I I, rear and front end walls I2 and I3 respectively, side walls I4 and a top wall I5, 'I'he housing I0 has the top wall structure I5 thereof formed with a horizontally disposed rear top wall section I6 and a downwardly and forwardly inclined top wall section I1. The front wall I3 is provided with a perforate panel I 8 through which moistened air is adapted to pass and the rear wall I2 is also provided with a perforate panel I9 through which air is adapted to pass in entering the interior of the housing Ill. The perforate panels I8 and I9 may be formed. of screen or thelike of the desired mesh.

The housing I0 has positioned therein a vertically disposed inner perforate wall 23, which divides the interior of the housing I into a vaporizing chamber 2| and a fan and outlet chamber 22. The vaporizing chamber 20 has positioned therein a vertically disposed foraminous wall generally designated as 23, which is positioned inwardly from the rear panel IU. 'I'he foraminous wall structure 23 includes a rear perforate wall 24, a forward perforate wall 25 and a quantity of foraminous material 26 interposed between the two perforate walls 24 and 25. The forarninous material 26 may be constructed in the form oi water absorbing material, such as excelsior or other suitable fibrous material, which is packed between the two walls 2li and 25.

In order to provide a means whereby the foraminous material 26 may be maintained at the desired moistened condition, I have provided at a point above the upper end of the foraminous material 26 a water or liquid conducting pipe 21. This pipe 21 extends across the upper end of the wall 23 and is provided in its upper side with a plurality of outlet openings 28 through which water or other suitable liquid is adapted to ow and then to ilow downwardly over the outer surface of the pipe or duct 21 and drip onto the upper end of the foraminous material 26. The drip pipe 21 is connected at one end thereof with a water supply pipe 29 which may be extended to the desired point in order to provide the desired water or liquid pressure. A valve member 3U is interposed between the pipe 29 and the intake end of the drip pipe 21 and is provided with an operating arm 3| by means of which the quantity of water passing to the drip pipe 21 may be regulated or controlled.

A fan structure 32 is disposed in the fan chamber 22 forwardly of the perforate inner wall 20 and includes a'standard 33, a base 34, a motor 35 and a fan blade structure 36. The fan structure 32 is conventional and includes a rheostat arm 31, which in the present instance extends out-` wardly of the base 34. In order to provide a means whereby the opening or closing of the valve member 30 may be proportioned in relation to the speed of the fan 32, as determined by the position of the rheostat arm 31, I have provided a pitman 38 which is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on a bracket 39. The bracket 39 may be secured to a side Wall I4 or other suitable portion of the housing I0. The lower end of the pitman 38 is connected with the rheostat arm 31 by means of a link 40. The forward end of the link 40 is pivotally connected with the rheostat arm 31 by means of a pivot member 4| and the rear end of the link 4D is pivotally connected with the lower end of the pitman 38 by means of a pivot 42. Preferably the lower end portion of the pitman 38 is formed with an elongated slot 43 in which the pivot 42 slidably engages.

The valve operating arm 3| has a pivot member 44 connected therewith, which is slidable in an elongated slot 45 formed in the upper end portion of the pitman 38. In this manner the movement of the rheostat arm 31 for increasing or decreasing the speed of the fan 32 will automatically open or close the valve member 30 so that the quantity of water supplied to the drip pipe 21 will be in direct-proportion to the speed of the fan blades 36. A

A drip pan or receiver 46 is disposed below the vaporizing wall 23, the pan 46 being of substantially V-shape in transverse section and extending across the full length of the vaporizing wall 23, so that any excess Water dripping through the foraminous material 26 will drop into the receiver 46. In order to provide a means whereby the Water received in the receiver 46 may be recirculated, I have provided a suction pipe 41, which has a down-turned open end 48 confronting the apex or bottom of the receiver 46. The pipe 41 is extended vertically upwardly from the receiver 46 and is connected at its upper end to a suction nozzle generally designated as 49. The suction nozzle 49 is interposed between the valve member 30 and the intake end of the drip pipe 21. The suction nozzle 49 includes a cylindrical body 50, which is threadably engaged as at l with the valve member 30 and is formed with a threaded portion 52, which is adapted to extend interiorly of the adjacent end of the drip pipe 21. The nozzle structure 49 includes a coneshaped nozzle member 53 having a relatively small opening 54 at the apex thereof, which extends interiorly of the intake end of the drip pipe 21. The suction pipe 41 is extended through an opening 55 formed in the cylindrical body 5D of the nozzle 49 and is then formed with a right angularly disposed branch 56, which terminates at its forward or open end at a point closely adjacent the inner side of the apex of the cone-shaped member 53. In this manner the water flowing through the nozzle member 49 will draw the water upwardly through lthe suction pipe 41 by reason of the suction formed at the open end of the branch 56, which is disposed closely adjacent the rear side of the jet opening 54.

By connecting the suction pipe 41 with the nozzle 49 and interposing the nozzle 49 on the outlet side of the valve member 30, the rate of suction in the pipe 41 will be in direct proportion to the opening of the valve member 30 as determined by the position of the rheostat arm 31.

In the use and operation of this air conditioner the supply pipe 29 is adapted to be connected to a source of water supply under pressure which may be the conventional city water system, and the fan 32 connected to a source of electric current supply. The adjustment of the rheostat arm 31 will regulate the speed of the fan blade 36 and as the rheostat arm 31 is moved to a position to operate the fan motor 35 the valve plug forming part of the valve member 30 will be moved to the desired open position so as to permit the water under pressure to ow from the supply pipe 29 through the nozzle 49 and into the drip pipe 21.

The water in the pipe 21 will flow out of the upper drip openings 28 and then drop downwardly onto the foraminous material 26 so as to maintain this material in a thoroughly moistened lcondition. The fan blades 36 will draw air through the perforate panel I9 and then'through the foraminous material 26, so that the air passing through the foraminous material 26 will cause a vaporization of the moistened material and this additionally moistened air will then pass through the forward perforate wall 25 and through the perforate intermediate wall 20. The moistened air is then discharged from the fan chamber 22 through the perforate panel I8 4into the room or other enclosure. Through the provision of the suction nozzle structure 49 in the event any excess water is discharged into the receiver 46 at the bottom of the vaporizing wall member 23 this excess water will be drawn upwardly through the suction pipe 41 and recirculated through the drip pipe 21. The provision of the suction nozzle 49 eliminates the necessity of providing a pump and an operator for the pump and provides for the recirculation of the excess Water in proportion to the iiow of the incoming water, which passes through the valve member 30.

An air conditioning unit has been constructed according to this invention and has been found to provide the desired humidity of air in a room in addition to the circulation of the humidied air and the degree of humidity of the air in the room may be very accurately regulated by adjustment of the rheostat arm which controls the operation of the fan member 32.

What I claim is:

An air conditioner comprising a housing including perforate opposite end walls, an inner perforate wall dividing the interior of the housing into a vaporizing chamber and a fan charnber, a foraminous Wall in said vaporizing chamber, means at the upper end of said foraminous Wall discharging water thereonto, a collector below said foraminous wall, a fan in said fan chamber for drawing air through said foraminous wall and discharging the moistened air through one of said end walls, a swingable speed regulator for said fan, a valve member connected with said Water discharging means, a vertical pitman, means rockably supporting said pitman in said housing, means slidably connecting one end of said pitman with said valve member, a horizontal pitman operating link, means pivotally connecting one end of said link with said regulator and the other end thereof with thel other end of said pitman whereby adjustment ,of said regulator will simultaneously adjust the Kipening or closing of said valve member, a suctio nozzle u structure interposed between said valve member and said Water discharge means, and a vertically disposed pipe connected with said nozzle and said collector for redischarge of the water entering said collector said pitman supporting means including complementary clamping means engaging said pipe.

CLARENCE A. BOLCOM. 

